You'll Be Amazed By The Larger-Than-Life Art At Illinois' Nathan Manilow Sculpture Park
By Melissa Mahoney|Published March 02, 2021
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Melissa Mahoney
Author
I'm an east coast girl living in a west coast world. I grew up in New England before moving to SoCal for several years. I then lived in NYC or a year before moving to AZ in 2009. I worked in the entertainment industry for many years of my adult life and have a deep love for photography, writing, and traveling around the U.S. as well as to far-flung locations around the world. Travel is my life and writing about it is a dream!
If you’ve ever wanted to feel like an ant among giants, head to the campus of Governors State University located in University Park. There you will find 30 large-scale sculptures dotting the landscape of 100 acres of prairie. This is the Nathan Manilow Sculpture Park, an outdoor museum that allows visitors to see and walk around massive works of art in a beautiful natural setting.
The Nathan Manilow Sculpture Park was established in 1978 and named after visionary developer, Nathan Manilow. It is a public art space featuring 30 massive sculptures that visitors can walk around and marvel at. They are quite a sight!
Most of the work is abstract and seems to enhance the natural surroundings of the park's acreage. This outdoor art exhibit may be one of the most fascinating you'll ever see.
The sculpture that seems to stand out the most among the other giant works of art here is this Paul Bunyan rendition. Created in 2006 by artist Tony Tasset, this steel frame and fiberglass monument stands at approximately 30 feet tall.
The park is open 365 days a year from dawn until dusk, so feel free to visit any time of year and watch the landscape change with the seasons. Both admission and parking are free.
Programs that incorporate art with nature and people are offered throughout the year. Visitors are also encouraged to explore the surrounding prairie lands filled with various plants and wildlife.
The Nathan Manilow Sculpture Park has something for everyone. Those who love photography can take some epic shots in front of the sculptures. Art enthusiasts can study and appreciate the enormous sculptures around the property. And nature lovers can can discover the wildlife that calls the park home. This park has it all!
